Memphis Grizzlies' Yuta Watanabe (12) is congratulated by teammates during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018, in Memphis, Tenn. The Grizzlies won in overtime, 109-104.(Photo: Karen Pulfer Focht, AP)

How much can truly be gleaned from the Grizzlies’ 109-104 preseason overtime win over the Pacers Saturday when Mike Conley and Marc Gasol combined to play zero minutes?

More than you might think, actually.

On top of Memphis’ two stars cooling their heels throughout the duration, neither Chandler Parsons nor JaMychal Green (both starters) played more than 8 minutes. Instead, J.B. Bickerstaff allowed Wayne Selden (27-plus minutes), Garrett Temple (27), Jaren Jackson (24) and Shelvin Mack (22) to stretch their legs on a night when the Pacers also held out their own leaders.

Perhaps, however, what will still have fans buzzing on Sunday is Yuta Watanabe’s role in the way things played out. Already a favorite, despite his two-way status, the Japanese rookie scored his first points of the preseason late in the third quarter, came up with his first slam dunk in the fourth and banked in a clutch 3-pointer with 6.4 seconds left in regulation to tie things up.

For good measure, the reigning Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year tacked on a momentum-cementing runner in the lane that put Memphis (2-1) up 100-97 in overtime.

Not bad for a guy whose introduction to the NBA a night earlier was as the victim of a violent, posterizing dunk late in a win over the Hawks.

“Yesterday, I mean, I got like dunked on like 10 seconds after I stepped in. That was probably the worst way to start off a professional career, right?” Watanabe said. “I was having fun today.”

Watanabe may have stolen the spotlight but Bickerstaff came away pleased with the proceedings that preceded the dramatic finish as Conley and Gasol cooled their heels and Parsons and Green played sparingly.

“It was the way we played. The pace we played with. The unselfishness we played with,” he said. “I think in the first half, 15 of our 18 field were assisted on. So our guys were sharing the ball, playing the way we want to play. Competing on the defensive end of the floor as well.

Parsons, headed into the third year of his Grizzlies career, has struggled to stay healthy since arriving in Memphis. Saturday was a big step for the former Maverick, as he played in back-to-back games on back-to-back nights for the first time in more than a year. He scored three points and had one rebound and one assist.

“Obviously, he wasn’t going to play a ton of minutes,” Bickerstaff said of Parsons. “But we wanted him to play so he could see mentally that he could do it and be successful and not be sore. It was big because as we prepare for the season, he knows where he stands.”

Jaren Jackson rebounds

The Grizzlies’ first-round draft pick had an overall successful preseason debut against the Rockets. But against the Hawks Friday, Jackson scuffled more than he glided.

On Saturday, he bounced back, putting up 18 points and six rebounds.

“He struggled a little bit last night,” Bickerstaff said. “But just being who he is, he came back and showed himself tonight. We got him the ball down on the block and he was able to score. Defensively, he’s able to do things just to clog the paint. He might not always get the shot block, but the shots are changed when he’s around.

“But give the kid a ton of credit for being able to bounce back so quickly.”

Memphis Grizzlies Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) and Omri Casspi (18) reach for the ball in the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers, Saturday, October 6, 2018, in Memphis.(Photo: Karen Pulfer Focht/AP)

Healing up

Kyle Anderson did not play for the second night in a row due to left heel soreness.

Bickerstaff: "He’s moving in the right direction. We expect him to be full go in practice Monday, barring any setbacks."

Next up

Memphis goes back on the road for its fourth out of five preseason games. This time, the Grizzlies will face the Orlando Magic at 6 p.m. Wednesday.